Perhaps I tend to read too much into the intent of the Prickly Pear. The one I sent to Roy was casting Quixotic shadow puppets. This one seems to be reaching out to slap me as I walk down the sidewalk.

A lot of people have asked about this whole Tucson thing. Why are you moving? Why Tucson? What’s the plan?

The “Why” is more complicated than the “What”, so I’ll explain the why over a glass of red when you come and visit me.

The short lesson from this article about Apple’s retail experience is that if you want people to have a consistently good experience with your store, you must CONTROL everything. No element of your store’s experience should be left up to a random element of choice as decided by an hourly employee.

A 2007 employee training manual lays out the A-P-P-L-E “steps of service” with an acronym of the company name: “Approach customers with a personalized warm welcome,” “Probe politely to understand all the customer’s needs,” “Present a solution for the customer to take home today,” “Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns,” and “End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.” It is reportedly still in use today.

Freedom comes on the other side of control. How are you controlling the experience in your store?